ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the role of the model in an area hitherto unknown archaeologically. North and north-east Thailand is an area that has seen less excavation than at many single sites elsewhere. Most of the archaeological research remains unpublished, and basic data from recent excavations are still under study. The chapter presents the review of recent research, which precedes the outline of an alternative model of cultural development in north and north-east Thailand; several factors will be taken as axiomatic. The area under review can be divided into three major environmental zones. The first comprises the Khorat plateau, a flat, rolling plain drained by the Mun and Chi rivers. The second zone, known as the North-west and Central Highlands, comprises a series of north-south running valley and upland systems. The Piedmont area between the Khorat Plateau and Central Highlands may be described as a third or intermediate zone.
